My Approval of Myself!

Why do we seek approval of others? So often our belief in our self worth is based on what other think of us. I am calling Malarkey! 

Our approval rating needs to start with us! I approve me! 

When I was younger, I was very much an idealist. I believed in every human being and only saw the good in them. I just knew that if I shared my smile and kindness then they would see that I was worthy of being their friend. As you can guess, I came against a great deal of opposition and heartache.  I learned that people judged me and treated me according to what their judgement of me was. 

By the time I was a senior in High School, I just didn't care what other's thought of me. I was done being the super sweet person who treated everyone the same. My kindness bucket was empty. I was empty. I remember just walking the halls of the High School and feeling like I was only a ghost and not really there at all. 

I always did the "right thing" and made the "right choices" and reality slapped me right in the face with it all too. Now don't get me wrong. I have no regrets about my life. Even the errors I made and the awful things that I was forced to experience, I have no regrets over. The path that my life took me down made me the woman I am today. 

Years passed, I became a wife, mom, single mom, wife again, step mom and now gramma. I again took up being kind, and added being wise, regardless of the situation I was in. After all of my life experiences have brought me through, they taught me this: I don't have to be "right" to be "correct." 

So I choose to be correct now. Sometimes that means letting go of someone that I have invested a lot of time into and sometimes that means just saying "no" to a new friendship. I am now being kind to myself! Why? Because I approve of myself. I am not perfect, nor am I the skinny girl in High School anymore. But what I am is a beautiful, talented, loving woman who can appreciate others just as they are. I don't need approval of others to be ok. I am ok already. I am happy. I have fun. I am serious. I am also silly. I work hard and sometimes I hardly work. I love reading and learning. I love bird watching and people watching. I like sitting on my deck and drinking a cup of coffee with my husband, while occasionally throwing a ball for my dog. I have no need to be something I am not just for some one's approval. 

So know this: you are beautiful, strong, fun, silly and serious! Love everything about yourself! Your hair color, your eye color, your freckles! Everything about you makes you wonderful! Yes, even the bad stuff. How? Well, because the bad stuff helps you define who you are in an icky situation. Life gives everyone icky situations, how we handle them defines who we are. 

So make a decision, approve of yourself! I did and it feels great! 

I approve this message!